Survivalist Uses for Salt

Common table salt, a rather unassuming ingredient adding taste to many foods, serves a variety of purposes, from cleaning household items to getting rid of weeds. For survivalists, salt is a vital component in enduring less-than-hospitable conditions. Salt, in tablet or powdered form, is a necessity when facing an indeterminate period of time in the wild.

  1. Food Preservation

    • Salt is an excellent source of food preservation: fresh meats will not deteriorate and will remain fresh longer in open environments if well-rubbed with plenty of salt. Fruits that have a fast breakdown rate, such as apples and bananas, can be kept from browning by sprinkling a little salt on the exposed areas of the fruit. Nuts are an easy source of protein and fats but may be somewhat difficult to open; soaking nuts such as pecans and walnuts in salted water for a few minutes makes shelling easier and less time-consuming.

    Health

    • Salt is lost through sweat, causing an internal electrolyte imbalance; if not corrected, prolonged salt loss will cause death. Survivalists can dissolve salt tablets in a canteen of fresh drinking water in order to offset salt loss through sweat. Also, salt can be used to clean the teeth: since no other oral hygiene methods are available, rubbing a moistened finger dabbed in salt across the teeth and gums kills harmful mouth bacteria and is abrasive enough to remove food particles from in between teeth.

    Emergency

    • Salt can be a source of emergency first aid, providing relief for the itching and swelling of mosquito bites or bee stings. If enough salt can be spared for the purpose, it can be sprinkled around campsites or places of food storage as a deterrent against ants and other foraging insects. In case of accidental contact with irritating plants such as poison ivy, applying salt to the affected area can provide quick relief from painful itching and inflammation.